Is counseling right for me?

Going to counseling doesn’t mean you’re weak or “crazy”. A lot of people feel pressure to “be strong”, handle their problems by themselves or keep things within the family. I get it.

Here’s what I think: It takes strength to recognize that what we’ve tried isn’t working, and to ask for help. It takes courage to face the parts of ourselves we’re afraid or ashamed of. We are social beings by nature and not meant to be alone with our problems, and sometimes even the most supportive family and friends don’t have the skills to help.

Sometimes we’re just struggling and we can’t quite figure out what we need to do in order to feel better or change unwanted patterns. This is equally true for individuals and couples. You don’t have to wait until things reach a crisis point in order to “justify” counseling.

What I offer is a place to be yourself in all of your identities, without being judged and without having to worry about the other person’s feelings or reactions. My only agenda is for you to meet your goals, even as those might change over time.

If you want more details about my approach, check out my counseling pages for the specific type of counseling you’re looking for.

Can I use my health insurance?

I accept most commercial insurance and several types of EAP. Bring this up during our consultation and I’ll explain how it works. I accept Medicare Part B and expect to accept Medi-Cal soon.

What do sessions cost?

My cash fee for individuals is $175 per 50-minute session and $200 for couples. A small number of sliding-scale slots are also available.

Before we start, you will receive a good-faith estimate of the total cost of therapy for up to one year. The first one will be quite general and I can refine it once I get a better sense of what you want to work on and how frequently we’ll be meeting. You will receive more information about this from me if we decide to work together.